In brief
Vice‑President JD Vance confirmed a US investigation into allegations that a missile strike killed at least four people, including children, at a wedding ceremony in Sirik, Iran. The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported shrapnel damage and casualties, while Iran branded the incident a war crime. The US maintains its strikes were targeted at Iranian military assets, denying civilian casualties. The dispute follows a flare‑up in a conflict that began with a joint US‑Israel attack on February 28, 2026. The investigation remains underway, as Iran retaliates with new attacks on American bases in Kuwait and the UAE.
Vice‑President JD Vance has confirmed that the United States will investigate claims the latest US missile strike killed civilians at a wedding in southern Iran.
Iranian authorities, citing evidence from the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), said shrapnel from a missile struck a wedding ceremony in Sirik on Tuesday, killing at least four people—two children, an older woman, and a teenager—and injuring 67 others. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ehsan Baqaei called the incident a war crime.
The United States explains that the missiles fired earlier that day were directed at Iranian forces that had launched attacks against American troops. “We do not target civilians,” said a Central Command spokesperson, emphasizing that civilian casualties were unintentional.
Vance, speaking to a White House briefing, expressed scepticism about the Iranian narrative: “I am extremely sceptical of the Iranian state media’s account of what happened so far.” He added that the US will conduct a thorough investigation.
Iran has responded by launching fresh attacks on US bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The IRCS dossier names the four killed: Zarkhatoon Taheri (50), Kolsum Mallahi Nazhdnia (43), Mohammad Mallahi (16), and Amirali Karimi (4). A fifth, a 22‑year‑old woman, reportedly died later in a hospital. Shrapnel was documented near a telecommunications tower destroyed in the area, located roughly 112 m from the wedding venue.
BBC Verify confirmed the destruction of the tower and damaged houses in footage taken on Tuesday and Wednesday. The conflict, which began with a joint US‑Israel strike on February 28, 2026, has continued for more than half a year.
